1904 
95 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
WHEN TO SOW ALFALFA. 
About what time should Alfalfa seed bo 
sown in ibis locality to insure a good 
catch? Should it be sown alone and seed 
bed prepared for it as for oats, ov should 
it be sown with grain? I wish to seed mv 
orchard of 12 acres to this, or vetch, to 
afford pasture for sheep, and at the same 
time improve the quality of the land. The. 
orchard has been plowed for several 
seasons, but no stock kept in it. Could the 
vetch be sown in early Spring? Would rape 
be preferable to either of the above? 
Orleans Co., N. Y. header. 
My experience has taught me that the 
best time is in the Spring, when the 
weather becomes warm and moist, gen¬ 
erally from the middle of May until the 
first of June, or perhaps a little later. 
The seed bed should be prepared as well 
as possible, malting the soil fine upon 
the surface. It may be sown alone, hut 
our practice has been (and I have never 
failed to get a good stand), to sow with 
it about three pecks of oats to the acre, 
as follows: When we have the field well 
worked down we sow the oats on broad¬ 
cast and continue to harrow the soil for 
the purpose of covering the seed and 
pulverizing it, using for the last time 
over the smoothing harrow. Then we 
sow the Alfalfa seed broadcast and cov¬ 
er it with a plank drag, which we have 
found to be the best implement for this 
purpose, as it leaves the surface of the 
soil level and fine without packing it. 
The oats will check the growth of weeds 
without injuring the Alfalfa. Some time, 
in August, when the oats are just nicely 
in the milk, we mow for hay, and in 
this way get a crop the first season. In 
iegard to the second question, as to sow- 
ing Alfalfa in the orchard, I cannot 
speak from experience. I have been told 
that it would not be a good thing to do, 
as the Alfalfa roots deeply and would 
rob the trees of fertility, but I am in¬ 
clined to think that under certain con¬ 
ditions it might work all right. It seems 
to be true that the soil will become 
richer where Alfalfa is grown for a few 
years, even when it is all removed for 
hay. Now, if it was mown and allowed 
to remain on the ground as a mulch it 
would enrich the surface soil very 
much faster and there is nothing that 
will produce as much material for 
mulching. It will not stand close pas¬ 
turing. The vetch can be sown in the 
Spring when the weather becomes 
warm. The rape might be used where 
you wished to cultivate the early part of 
the season and pasture later, but would 
not be preferable to the others in most 
cases. d. R. PEASE. 
Tompkins Co., N. Y. 
A good catch of Alfalfa cannot be in¬ 
sured by sowing the seed at any particu¬ 
lar date. Seasons vary, and the date 
that would be most favorable one year 
might not be the next. On a soil that 
has been deeply and thoroughly plowed 
as early in the Spring as the land is fit, 
and then compacted by frequent and 
thorough harrowing till the surface has 
become fine as an onion bed, and the 
weather and soil, in the meantime, be¬ 
come warm enough to cause rapid ger¬ 
mination, there can scarcely occur a fail¬ 
ure to get a stand. If, how'ever, a burn¬ 
ing drought sets in before the young 
plants get their roots several inches into 
the soil they may perish. If the soil is 
known to be quickly affected by drought 
it probably will be wise to‘sow as early 
as germination may be expected, while 
the Spring moisture is still in the soil. 
Under other conditions it may be better 
to wait until the soil is warmer, so 
growth will be more rapid and the Al¬ 
falfa will have a better chance to keep 
up with the weeds. 
Usually it is better for the Alfalfa not 
to sow a nurse crop, but to clip the 
the weeds as often as they seem to be 
overgrowing the Alfalfa. In a few in¬ 
stances the Alfalfa seems to have been 
benefited by the presence of the nurse 
crop. In many cases a good crop of oat 
hay has been secured without prevent¬ 
ing a satisfactory catch of Alfalfa. Al¬ 
lowing the nurse crop to mature is al¬ 
most always very injurious to the A 1 - 
falfa. If nurse crop is used, do not sow 
more than half the usual amount of 
seed. It is probable that either vetch or 
rape will give better satisfaction in the 
orchard than Alfalfa. None of these 
plants is well adapted to continuous 
grazing, but when a sufficient growth 
has been secured enough stock should 
be turned in to feed it down rather 
quickly, when another crop may be al¬ 
lowed to grow, or it can be plowed and 
reseeded. If the orchard can be divided 
into two fields probably best results may 
be secured by handling it as follows: 
Early in Spring sow one portion to 
Spring vetch, which will come on quite 
rapidly, and when fed off this area 
should be sown to rape for Fall pasture. 
The other portion should be sown to 
rape in the Spring and when fed off may 
be put in to Winter or Hairy vetch (say 
about August 15). This will make a 
nice start in Autumn and will be ready 
for feeding off earlier the following 
Spring than will the Spring vetch, 
which will again be sown on the other 
part. By the middle of the second sea¬ 
son experience will indicate which of 
these are giving the best satisfaction on 
this soil, and how the succession should 
be provided for thereafter; or if suffi¬ 
cient other pasture is available for the 
sheep a part of the time so that it is 
not needed to provide a succession in the 
orchard, the whole area may be handled 
by one or the other plan proposed for a 
part, as may seem most desirable. 
Ithaca, N. Y. [Prof.] j. i,. stone. 
My experience with Alfalfa is, like 
yours, limited, but from what experience 
I have had I would advise making a 
good seed bed as early in May as the 
land would do to work, and I would sow 
the Alfalfa seed alone. I sowed some Al¬ 
falfa in this way in the Spring of 1902; 
it grew nicely, and we cut it twice the 
first season, and in 1903 it was cut three 
times. I would expect if it were pas¬ 
tured with sheep it would be short-lived, 
but have had no experience. F. e. v. e. 
Stanley, N. Y. 
I would not advise sowing Alfalfa in 
an orchard, as the roots do not decay to 
afford any food for the trees until it is 
plowed. To plow the Alfalfa success¬ 
fully would require plowing deep enough 
to injure the roots of the trees. I know 
of a young orchard that was injured by 
Alfalfa. A part of the orchard was cul¬ 
tivated with hoed crops, and made dou¬ 
ble the growth of the part that was seed¬ 
ed with Alfalfa. 1 would much prefer 
seeding the orchard with Alsike and 
White clover for a sheep pasture. This 
will improve the ground and give good 
pasture. Seed with a light seeding of 
oats or barley. Success with Alfalfa 
depends much on the soil. It can 
be seeded with a light seeding of 
barley or oats. I use 10 pounds of seed 
to the acre. I am not acquainted with 
vetch or rape. A bulletin from Cornell 
on orchard cover crops will give you the 
desired information. c. M. 
Fairmount, N. Y. 
Here in Onondaga County, where Al¬ 
falfa grows readily, successful catches 
have been obtained from a number of 
different methods of seeding. The saf¬ 
est way is to sow it alone in May, after 
danger of frost is over. Cultivate the 
ground at several different periods in 
the Spring to destroy as many weeds as 
possible; finally compact the ground 
very firm by repeated rolling. This is 
important, for Alfalfa will not succeed 
in loose soil. Do not be discouraged if 
the stand appears thin the first year. If 
the soil is not inoculated with the need¬ 
ed bacteria the growth at first will be 
slow; later it will improve wonderfully. 
Sow two quarts of Timothy with eight 
quarts of Alfalfa per acre. The Timothy 
helps the stand at first and the hay will 
cure out much better. I have had no 
experience with Alfalfa in orchards; 
should think that it would do harm to 
the developing fruit buds from its rapid 
growth during the Fall. 
GRANT G. HITOHINGS. 
Onondaga Co., N. Y. 
The Care of Animals, by Nelson S. 
Mayo, 459 pages; illustrated. The author 
is a veterinarian of wide experience, and 
the book is a real acquisition to the farm 
library, covering a wide field and being 
free from the technicalities which load 
down so many works on this subject. Pre¬ 
vention of disease and the medical and 
surgical treatment of all farm animals, in¬ 
cluding cats and dogs, are special fea¬ 
tures. The last chapter on drugs and the 
proper combinations and doses for various 
animals and diseases is of special value. 
Published by the Macmillan Co., New 
York. Price $1.25, postpaid, from this office. 
Special Sale of Farm Supplies 11 
* SOME GENUINE BARGAINS IN FIRST CLASS MATERIAL, MERCHANDISE AND MACHINERY AT SACRIFICE PRICES 
The Chicairo House Wrecking Company is the largest institution of its kind on earth. We are constantly purchasing complete stocks at Sheriffs and Receivers’ sales. We have purchased and dismantled 
all of the expositionsof modern days, including the World’s Fair. Here are a few samples of our ability to give special prices on farm necessities, which would cost from 25 to 50 percent, mor e elsew here. 
Kitchen Sink $1.25 
Porcelain Enameled, inside and 
outside. 10,000 of these new 
sinks, 18x30 in., blue enameled, 
@ $ 1.25. Cast Iron,white porce¬ 
lain enameled, 18x30, @ $1.50. 
Larger sizes, write for prices. 
MSS «« a 1 in. with couplings, 3%c per ft. 
ripe IX in. “ “ 4 l Ac “ 
First class wrought iron pipe for water and 
other purposes. Re-threaded and in goodcondi- 
tion. Also well casing, boiler tubes and pumps. 
New Steel Roofing and Siding 
Complete with nails and painted red on both sides at 
$2.00 per lOO Square Feet 
Most durable and economical roof covering made for houses, stores, barns, sheds, 
cribs, poultry houses, etc., and a hundred other purposes for inside and outside use; 
cheaper and will last longer than any other covering. Sheets are 6 and 8 feet long. 
to all points east of Colorado. This roofing 
at $2.00 per square is our No. 10 grade, 
semi-hardened. Very easy to lay: requires no experience; hatchet or hammer 
tho only tool needed. Comes in Flat, Corrugated, V Crimped. 
Brick Siding and Beaded Ceiling or Siding. Prices on application. 
WE PAY THE FREIGHT 
Manila Rope 7c pr lb. 
— Good ManilaRope,slightly used, 
all sizes,%to2in.. 7 c lb. Newsisal 
rope, shop worn, sizes, X to 1 in., 
8 c lb. Twine, all kinds, 6 c lb. 
Wire Rope, all sizes, low prices. 
Tackle Blocks, Rope Pulleys,etc. 
(DCfT buys the best 
out 
We’vealOOof them,guar¬ 
anteed in every way,body 
is 23x54 in.,hand painted, 
Sarven’spat.wheels,high 
pad. leather dash, carpet, 
curtains, storm apron. 
Farm Forges 
$6.35 each 
We bought several carloads of 
new Portable Forges at low 
price. HORSESHOES, per 
keg, $3.00. Horse-shoe Nails, 
per lb., 8 c. Post Drills, $4.85. 
Blacksmiths' Tools of every 
kind. MIXED BOLTS — a 
handy assortment—per lb.,3c. 
Mason's Fruit 
Bought at sale 60,000 
9 dozen. We purchased 
this enormous quantity and are 
prepared to make immediate 
delivery. Some of them are 
slightly shop worn, but as a rule 
are in good condition. 
Note our prices: 
Pints, per dozen ... 43 cents 
Quarts, per dozen . . 50 cents 
Felt Roofing ™ 
VULCANITE, . . . $1.75 
RUBEROID, . . . 2.00 
2- ply “EAGLE” brand roofing, 1.15 
3- ply “EAGLE” brand roofing, 1.35 
Prices Include nails and necessary 
cement. The “VULCANITE” that we 
are offering is the best grade of felt 
covering on the market. Requires no 
coating after it is laid. Extensively 
used on sheds, barns, etc. Samples furnished. 
d 
faoFlN 
Gasoline Engine 
Two-Horse Power, 
Absolutely new and perfect. 
Same Engine with 
Pumping Jack . 
Engines ranging from 1 to 1,000 
horse power; saw mills, boilers, 
pumping machinery and equip¬ 
ment of every kind. 
Ask for “Machinery News” 
WIRE, #1.40 per lOO lbs. 
Smooth galvanized wire, 100 lbs. 
to bale; gauges, 11 to 14 inclusive; 
lengths, upto 260 ft.—per 100 lbs., 
$1.40. Smooth Painted Wire 
Shorts, gauges 12, 13 and 14, 
;$1.10, per 100 lb. 
ibale. Barbed 
[Wire, 100 lbs.. $2.60. 
IPOULTRY NETTINIj} 
j 160 lineal ft. to bale; 12 in. wide, 50c 
-other widths in proportion. 
Steel Fence destructfb 
Posts, 30c 
in¬ 
destructible. 
A permanent 
fence post suit¬ 
able for fields, farms, pastures, etc. Made 
of one piece hollow tube. 
Price each, complete with staples, 30c 
Special discounts on large quantities. 
ONE-PIECE GRAPE POSTS, the best 
on the market. Get our post circular. 
WireNails&Staples* 9 
A handy assortment of wire 
nails,put up in kegsof 100 lbs. 
ranging from 3to30d,all kinds. 
Single keg lots,each, $1.60 
Five keg lots, “ 1.50 
Wire Staples, one size in a keg; %, 1,1#, 
IX and 2 in. 
Round heads .... $2.25 per 100 lbs. 
Square heads .... 2.00 “ “ “ 
Hardware 
^’gle bitted 
axe, cast 
iron . 30c 
D’ble bitted (ditto) 40c 
Good padlocks . 6 c 
Wire clothes lines 10c 
All-steel hatchets 30c 
Door locks ... 8 c 
Monkey wrenches 9c 
Mach’ists’ ham’rs 40c 
1 
Axe handles 6 c 
All - steel 
hammers, 30c 
Family scales . 70c 
Screw drivers . 6 c 
Wood screws, 
mixed, per lb. 10 c 
Shovels .... 30c 
Steel rakes . . 25c 
Grass hooks . . 10c 
Jack Screws SOc 
Brand new cast, iron stand with wrought 
iron screws, deep cut threads: 
IX in. diam., 12 ton each, 80c. IX in. 
diam., 16 to each, $ 1 . 10 . 2 in. diam., 20 
ton each, $1.15. 2% in. diam., 24 ton 
each, $1.85. 2X in. diam., 28 ton each, 
$2.40. Also, Lever Jacks for $5.00. 
Bicycle Lamp 80c 
Atwood’s celebrated bicycle 
and vehicle lanterns, unsur¬ 
passed, each one complete 
with 2 fixtures,fully guaran- 
teed.each.SOc. Also Bicycle 
Toe Clamps, most practical 
on the market, per pair, 5c. 
Dietz Lanterns 
40c up. We recently purchased at Un¬ 
derwriters’ Sale 2,000 Dietz’ lanterns. 
Some of them are slightly affected by 
water, but practically as good as new. 
No. 2 Dietz Tubular . 40c each. 
No. 39 Dietz Railroad . 40c each. 
Dietz Street Lamps, $1.75 and up. 
Mixed Paints 
Our higli grade “Premier” brand, 
guaranteed 3 years, per gal., 95c. 
“Perfection” brand for ordinary 
use, per gal., 65c. Barn paint, in 
barrel lots, per gal., 30c. Cold 
Water Paints, per lb., 6 c. Write 
for color card, mailed free. 
from Weddell House 
rUH MEftUrGv level and, Oliio 
We bought the fur¬ 
niture and fittings 
completeof thiswell 
known hotel. It is 
of highest quality 
and sold at such low 
prices as to be with* 
ni reach of all. We have a complete catalogue 
co .turning list of this and other material from 
high class Clubs, Hotels, etc., purchased by us. 
A Carpet 
Thoroughly renovated^ 
carpets which we are'™* 
selling at way-down 
price. Can fur¬ 
nish you a high 
grade Wilton 
o r Axminster, 
good as new,at 
60c pp yd 
Bargain 
Write for complete list. 
Doors, each $1 
Like cut. Our catalogue contains 
list of Lumber, Sash, Doors, Wln- 
dowsand Building Material of every 
kind. We can estimate on your mill 
work and all requirements. Also 
Plumbing 
Material 
tub and wash stand, for #37.50. 
Bicycle Grind¬ 
stone — $2.25 
High grade, perfect cutting. All 
hall bearing frame, as fol¬ 
lows, each complete: Small 
stone, $2.25; medium, $2.45; 
large, $2.65. 
Also, Ball bearing Emery Grinder 
complete with 2 emery wheels 
and all fixtures . Price $6.50. 
SEND FOR CATALOGUE No. 57, containing 
some 260 pages of material easily 25 to 60 per 
cent, less than yon can purchase elsewhere. 
Chicago House Wrecking Co. 35th and Iron Sts., Chicago 
